Journey of the Lost
by Clouded Fantasies
Summary: Tifa's mother is dead. What will Little Tifa do to see her one last time?


I was numbed by the sorrow of the loss of my mother. I woke up to the sounds of stiffled sniffles and sobs. I ran downstairs to see my mother limp in my fathers arms. He kept calling her name over and over to come back. She didn't respond. I walked up to my father.

"...Papa. Is momma okay?" I asked. His head shot up in shock of my presence.

"Tifa! Ummmm...Yeah everything's fine. Just go back upstairs.

"But momma isn't moving..."

"She's just sleeping." he said with haste. I knew he was lying. I saw it in his eyes. He must've known I knew. "Go!" I jumped back at his sudden outburst. Tears started streaking my face as I ran upstairs, hastily wipping them off.

I slammed my door shut, and jumped on my bed and cried. I've never felt so much pain. It was like a hand reached into my chest and tore my heart apart. I looked out my window to something that caught the side-sight of my eye. Skipky-Blonde and blue eyes. Cloud must've heard the yelling and was trying to chack on me. Embarressed of being caught, he dunked his head under the sill, Blonde spikes still visable. I hid my face into my knees so he didn't see. I don't want anyone to worry about my problems.

Two days had passed since the passing of my mother. I never left my room ever since. Not even a passing glance at my father as he brought up my food. Today was the funeral. People were clustered in my living room, talking and mourning of another loss in Nibelheim. I stayed in my room, away from the crowds. I know they would be asking me questions my father would'nt answer, and I don't want to be bothered by that. Yet some people must be relentless for answers considering somebody just knocked on my door. "Go away!" I spat, but they just entered anyway. They were my friend. I stared at themfor a moment, then ducked my head back down into my sheets, ignoring their presence. I felt a small soft hand on my head. "Hi Johnny." I mummble.

"Hey Tifa. We heard the news. we're sorry." More tears started welling up in my eyes. It's okay She's not gone. You know what they say. 'When someone dies, their soul waits for you at the highest peak of Mt. Nibel.'" I heard clunky footsteps of Brian walk up to us. and a smacking sound soon after. "Ow!"

"Shh! We don't want her to go chasing after something that's not even there, do you?" I heard him whisper.

"I wanna go..." I say looking forward aimlessly. Everyone turned their attention to me. I wanna... go see...mom."

"Teef are you crazy?!" Brian yelled.

"No." I shot up off of my bed and sprinted to the door, down the stairs and through the people to the door. I heard my father calling me but I ignored him. Running out of my house and making a beeline to the path to the mountains, I just kept my attention to the goal I'm after- seeing mom. I could hear my friends trailing right behind me. They kept calling my name to slow down, but I ran even faster.

I reached to very begining of the road up the mountain.

"I...I'm going home!" Brian yelped. I heard his footsteps fade farther away as he escaped. I didn't care.

"Let's go." I started climbing the road, snow crunching beneath my feet, ignoring the cold substace slipping into my shoes.

By the time I got to the bridge, all my friends ran way except Johnny.

"Uhmm...Teef?"

"Hmm..."

"I..I'm scared..."

"Them why don't you go?" I ask.

"Uhm...If you say so. Bye Teef." Then he ran 's better to go alone, anyway. I've always heard people saying something about 'The bridge being 'unstable' ' whatever that means. At this point, nothings going to stop me. I set foot on the rickity rope bridge. I set my other foot on the bridge and it started shaking vigorously. I got scared, so I started running recklessly on the bridge. I ran faster, and faster, until a board broke under my foot and i fell through. I looked around for help. Johnny left. I'm alone. I looked down to the deep abyss below. I close my eyes, hoping for someone to save me. I open them back up when I hear footsteps running towards me.

"Cloud!" I shout when I see him. He was running toward me. Why was the here?

"Hang on!" I nod at his command. Not like a have much of a choice, though. He tried to pull my leg out, making the bridge sway back and forth.

"Cloud! Be careful!" The rope started to snap, I saw it. Next thing I knew, I was in the air with a small warm shell hanging onto me for dear life. I knew the bridge had snapped and Cloud was tring to protect me. I just screamed and waited until the impact hit.

"You had quite the fall, young lady." A sweet voice said. I was surrounded by black, but there was a little beam of light and a female figure under it.

"Momma?" I knew it was her, but I couldn't help but ask. So, I walked up to her.

"Don't worry. You're little friend's okay."

"Cloud?"

"Yes. He was unconisous for a bit. Hit his head pretty hard. But when he came too, the first thing he did was check on you before even examining himself. Sweet kid."

"He's alive?"

"Yes. He also brought you into town for help. Though, your father gave him quite the nasty lecture."

"So what about me? How am I doing?" mom sighed.

"You're in a coma, now. But don't worry. You're a Lockheart. Strong, brave, and won't go down without a fight." I lowered my heas.

"So, You're just a dream?"

"Not quite. You see, I can't visit you when you're awake, but when you're alseep, I can talk to you, but seeing me is up to you."

"Oh..."

"It's okay. I don't quite get it either. But, when you wake up, you'll have a strange sensation. Though, you'll be fine. Speaking of waking up, Everybody is worried about you."

"Everybody?" I question.

"Yes. No go ahead and wake up."

"Umm. Okay. How exactly do I do that?" she giggled.

"Don't worry, It'll come to you."

"Okay. Momma?"

"Yes dear.

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too. Now, everyone's waiting, if you're ready."

"Okay. Bye." The beam of light disappeared along with my mother who dissapaited into green shadows. She was returning to the Lifestream. I close my eyes and let the deep darkness take me in.

"Tifa. Tifa!" A thick husky voice called. My eyes fluttered open to see that I'm in a hospital room with my father cluctching my hand, hovering over me with pleading eyes.

"Papa?"

"Oh! You're okay!" he picked me up and hauled me into a full embrace. I didn't know he cared so much.

"Thanks." I choke out. He let go of me and stared into my eyes.

"Tell me what happened." I took a deep breath.

"Where should I start?" So I told him about what Johnny told me about souls taking the journey to the mountain, and how I got up there. Also, how my 'friends' abandonded me just before I got stuck. "So when I got stuck, Cloud came from out of nowhere to get mt leg out. But, we were struggling so much, that the bridge weakened and we fell. Cloud tried to help me. And the next thing I knew I..."

"You what?" his eyes widened in anticipation. Should I tell him about mom?

"I uh...woke up." ...no...too soon.

"I see. Well, you were out cold for seven days." Seven days? That long? It only felt like an hour or two. A full week? I lowered my head, looking at the white sheets on my bed. "And as for that boy you were with...You're not allowed to associate with him ever again."

"What?" I looked back up. "It wasn't Clouds fault I fell. I was too clumsy, he tried to help."

"If he tried to help, you wouldn've fell and gotten a coma, now would you? No more talking to that boy. He's trouble." At that, he got up and waited for me at the door. "Lets go." I got up off of the mattress and grabbed his hand.

As we got out of the hospital, we walked past Clouds house while heading to ours. I snuck a peek in his window. His left arm was wrapped in a sling and, is that a black eye? how could he've gotten that while falling? He got hurt too, yet my father managed to yell at him? Poor kid. Now, I can't talk to him anymore? What do I do? I can't tell him I'm sorry. I continued to walk towards my house as the thoughts raced through my mind. Once I got there, papa let go of my hand.

"I'll start dinner. You head upstairs and rest." I think I did enough of that, but I follow what is told, anyway.

"Okay, papa." I nod and go to my room.

I sat on my bed. what about my other friends? They were there, and Cloud gets in trouble? Why is this bugging me so badly? I sigh and turn my head to my window. I notice Cloud sitting on his bed looking at his cast. Maybe I can talk to him through here, why not? My father isn't here. It feels wrong going behind his back like this,but I have to apoligize. I open my window and wave my arms to get his attention. He didn't notice. I can't shout, papa will get alarmed. I should throw something. Let's see... I look around my room to find something. There! A chocobo plushy! Perfect! I grab the plushy that one of my friends gave me for my birthdy last year and toss it out of my window. It hits his with a thunk that got his attention. He looks out the window and I wave him to open his window. He opens it and pops his head out.

"Tifa?" he starts. "What are you doing?" he shakes his head, disguarding the question. "Forget that. Are you okay?" I nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"How ca nyou be fine? You were asleep for a week." I shrugged.

"Dilly dally, shilly shally. Anyway, what happend to you?" He lowered his head and sighed.

"It all started when you ran out of your house. I wanted to check on you, but you're friends were with you, and they don't like me. So I his, and I followed you all the way to the bridge. When Johnny finally left and you started running on the bridge, I knew you were in danger. I called out to you, but I guess you didn't hear me. So, I kept closer. When you got stuck I came to help you. But I failed. Sorry." I lowered my head. I should be apoligizing, not him.

"Thank you. I heard about my papa. Sorry."

"It's fine, I guess...It's just that after your father scolded me, your friends sort of beat me up a little."

"They hurt you even more?"

"Yeah, they said you could have died, and that should of benn me to get hurt...and some other mean things... I'm so weak. I'm not fit to help anyone."

Don't say that!" I burst. his eyes widened in surprise.

"Huh?"

"Don't say you're weak, that just makes you weaker. If you want to be strong, You have to find it in yourself, before your musles. Besides, you're not weak at all. You have strong will-power. That's all that really matters."

"Really? Thanks, Teef..." I cross my arms and nod in reassurance.

"No prob!"

"Tifa! Dinner!" I heard my father shout. Cloud jumped back, fear ectched on his face.

"Hey are you okay?"

"Umm...I just remembered...I...I have to go! Bye!" at that, he shut his window and ran out of his room. That was strange. I shrugged it off and headed downstairs for dinner.

For weeks, everyone's been treating my differently. Even Cloud, He's been avoiding me after our last converstaion and has been acting stranger than usual. And my papa's been watching me play. So I can't talk to him. Mamma, I wish you were here, with me. You'd always know what to do.

'I'm here with you. Always.' I heard in the back of my head. I was in shock for a couple seconds the gently smiled.

"I know."

END


End file.
